Fuel oil and process of making the same



Patented Aug. 24, .1926.

EDWAJBD A. RUDIGIER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, i VELQPMEN'II COMPANY, A CORPORATION ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD DE- OF DELAWARE.

FUEL OIL AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME' No Drawing.

The object of the present invention is the manufacture of a fuel oil. .More particularly, the invention is directed to the proper blending or mixing of a very viscous 'hydrocarbon material or one which is nearly solid when cold, with a comparatively low viscosity fuel oil, to produce a liquid fuel which may be burned in the ordinary type 'of fuel oil burners when atomized with steam or other fluid means. Specifically the invention is concerned with the manufacture of a fuel oil by the admixture inproper proportions of a so-called paraflin sludge with a fuel oil such as that produced by the cracking of a heavy Mexican crude oil.

In the manufacture of commercial oil products, it is common practice. as is well known in the art, after the distillation and b separation of the crude oil into various fractions. to. subject the various fractions to the action of sulfuric acid as one step in the so-called treating process, This treatment with acid may be carried out in stages.

As a result of this acid treatment, there is obtained, in addition to the treated oil, an

acid sludge which contains tarry andother viscous material together with the unused and spent acid. T

It is well known that a very viscous sludge is ordinarily obtained by thetreatment with acid of certain oil fractions which may contain small quantities of paraffin. For example, in the manufacture of paraffin, an oil fraction having a gravity within certain -requisite limits, that is, approximately25" to 37 B., is first separated from the crude oihby the usual distillation means, This fraction is then passed through the chillers and wax presses to separate the paraflin 40 therefrom. The pressed oil distillate, however, still contains small quantities ,of paraflin, or paraflin-like matter, as well as unsaturated and naphthene hydrocarbons.

. t is the carbonization and sulfonation by acid of these compounds of comparatively high molecular weight that produces the socalled parafiin sludge in the treatment of such an oil fraction with acid. Y

This sludge is ordinarily steamed to recover, the excess ofacid therefrom and the reslduum from the steaming process is fre. quently so viscous that when it 'is' allowed to cool to ordinary atmospheric temperatures, it is sufiiciently solid to be shovelled and is frequently admixed with coke or coal "even when heated to oil may then be mixe 'uum. By this means,

Application filed November 21, 1924. Serial No. 751,393.

and used as a refinery fuel when obtained in this form. The use of a fuel of this type is far from convenient and the problem of its proper disposal is acute, especially in the more modern'of the present day refineries where practically all of the heating is done by means of the combustion of fuel oil, atomized by steam, in the fuel oil burners. Tlie'sludge itself is so viscous that as high a temperature as is practicable, it is not sufficiently mobile to flow freely and consequently cannot be used in the same manner as more liquid I have now found that. this paraflin sludge can be very conveniently handled and a practical fueloil obtained therefrom by lending or mixing the sludge with a fuel oil produced by the cracking of certain types of crude oil such as a heavy Mexican crude. It is desirable that the fuel oil be-of approximately the same specific gravity as the sludge. Inasmuch as the sludge is very viscous; as has previously been pointed out, it is also desirable that the fuel oil used be comparatively fluid so that the finished product may not 'be too viscous to flow easily. For most purposes the blended fuel oil should have a Furol viscosity of approximately 250 to 350 seconds at 122 F.

Although many fuel oils or residuums having the necessary properties may be used 'as solvent and blendingmeans with the paraflin sludge, I have found that especially desirable results may be realized by the use of a fuel oil produced from a heavy Mexican crude oil which has first been topped and the bottoms therefrom subjected to a cracking operation so as to leave a final residuum or fuel oil approximately in quantity 80 to 85% of the original'oil. This residuum or fuel preferably by injectmg steam, with the paraflin sludge in any proportions desired, although it has been found in order to keep the viscosity of the final product low enough to enable the mixture to flow under operating conditions, that not more'tha'n 60% of the sludge should be blended with 40% of the residuum mentioned- In many cases it is desirable to mix equal quantities of the sludge with the resida fuel oil is obtained which has a vicosity of approximately SOQ seconds'Furol at 122 F. Such a product is readily usable as a refinery fuel. no

It Will be understood that the improved a fuel oil is not restricted to two components as specified in the illustrative examples.

The viscosity and other properties may be adjusted by the addition of other components, such a various grades of fuel oil.

I claim:

l. A fuel oil comprising a viscous slud e from the acid treatment of hydrocarbon oi s and a less viscous fuel 011 having approximately the same specific gravity assaid sludge. 1

2. A fuel oil comprisingablend of paraffin sludge with a fuel oil residuum obtained by cracking a topped heavy Mexican oil.

3. A fuel oil comprising a blend of paraffln sludge With the residuum from a heavy Mexican oil, said residuum comprising not more than 85% of the quantity of the origi-' nal oil.

not more than 85% 4. A fuel oil comprising paraffin sludge +10% of a less viscous oil of approximately the same specific gravity.

6. A fuel oil comprismg approximately of paraffin sludge blended with a fuel oil residuum obtained by cracking a topped heavy Mexican oil.

7. Process of making a fuel oil, compris-- ing bringing together a viscous sludge from the acid treatment of hydrocarbon oils and a less viscous oil, and mixing by injecting steam.

EDWARD A. RUDIGIER. 

